Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series: Box Set: Books 1-3

by Hope Callaghan

  She tried the door handle. Locked. She tapped lightly on the glass. Cat’s head popped up. She grinned and walked over to the door to let Annette in.

  Annette stepped across the threshold and Cat locked the door behind them. “Millie said you talked to Doctor Gundervan.”

  Cat nodded. “Yeah.”

  “And?” Annette prompted.

  Before she could answer, there was another light tap on the door. This time it was Millie.

  Cat let her in, locked the door, once again, and wandered to the back. “What did you find out?”

  Cat tucked a wisp of jet black hair behind her ear. “I was just about to tell Annette that, although Doctor Gundervan was with Captain Vitale when he was poisoned, he didn’t see who delivered the food. He had gone to the restroom to wash his hands and when he returned, the bisque was already on the table.”

  Annette’s heart sank. “So Vitale is the only one who can tell us who dropped off the dish?”

  Cat nodded. “Yep, but Doctor Gundervan did say something I thought was interesting.”

  Millie leaned in. Maybe they were finally going to get a break in the case. “What?”

  “That Captain Vitale became violently ill almost immediately after eating the food. You know, food poisoning takes a little while to get into the system.”

  Annette nodded. “True. So what does he think it was?”

  Cat shrugged. “He wasn’t certain but he did say he was waiting on the lab results. He should have them any time now.”

  Annette’s blue eyes gleamed with interest. “We need to get our hands on a copy of those results!”

  Millie took a step back. She raised her hands. “Oh no…don’t look at me! I’m already on probation.”

  Annette turned to Cat. “Think you can make up another excuse to get into Gundervan’s office, maybe snoop around?”

  Cat wiped a microscopic speck of dust off the cash register keys. “Maybe,” she said.

  Annette took that as a yes. “Good. We’ll wait a couple days, then you go back down there to see what you can find out.”

  She went on. “In the meantime, I’ll do a little research on the computer to see what kind of poisons or drugs would make someone ill almost immediately.” Annette turned to Millie. “I’m not having much luck getting information out of my kitchen staff.”

  Millie had a hunch as to why that was the case. When Annette was onto something, she was like a bulldog. Sometimes you could attract more bees with honey than with vinegar.

  Perhaps Millie could use a little honey… “I’ll see what I can find out,” she promised Annette, “but for now, I am exhausted.”

  The girls wandered out of the gift shop. Cat turned off the light and locked the door.

  Back in her cabin, Millie stripped off her work clothes and slipped into her pajamas. She could barely keep her eyes open as she washed her face and brushed her teeth.

  She crawled into her bunk, closed her eyes and was out like a light!

  Millie dreamed she was in a small fishing boat. The boat bobbed up and down in the water, tossing and turning in the waves. Every time she tried to move around, another huge wave would hit the side of the boat and water poured over the top.

  Millie’s heart began to pound. Her stomach began to churn and she felt sick to her stomach.

  She peered over the edge of the boat. When the small boat crested a wave, she could see a spot of land off in the distance. The small boat would dip back inside the enormous wave and the shoreline would disappear.

  Millie began to pray, “Dear God, please save me! I’m going to die!”

  The rain began to pelt her face, her body. A loud rumble of thunder and bolt of lightning struck nearby.

  “Millie!” Someone outside the boat was calling her name.

  “Millie! Wake up!”

  Millie’s eyes flew open.

  Sarah was leaning over her, gently shaking her arm. “Are you okay? You were thrashing around in the bed, mumbling.”

  Millie propped herself on her elbows. “I was having a dream that…”

  Suddenly, the cabin tilted. Millie’s radio slid off the desk and hit the floor with a loud thud.

  Sarah reached up and grabbed the edge of the top bunk to steady herself. “The ship is rocking and rolling. I’m about to head topside to see what’s going on.”

  Millie flung the covers back and swung her legs over the side of the bed. “Wait for a minute and I’ll go with you.”

  She stood up at the precise moment the ship tilted again. Like a drunken sailor, Millie stumbled to the bathroom.

  She slipped into her uniform from the night before, smoothed her hair back in a quick ponytail and brushed her teeth.

  All the while, the ship swayed back and forth. It started to make Millie feel a bit queasy.

  Back in the main cabin, Sarah sat on the edge of Millie’s bed. She looked as green as Millie felt.

  Millie kept a package of mints in her dresser drawer for just such an emergency after Annette had urged her to keep them on hand.

  She handed one to Sarah, peeled the wrapper off a second one and popped it into her mouth. Millie slipped her lanyard around her neck and grabbed the cabin door.

  The two women weren’t the only ones making their way to the upper decks to see what was going on. Several of the crew, looking bleary-eyed and leaning against the wall to steady themselves, made their way to the door that connected the crew quarters to the guest area.

  The ship continued to rock and roll as the girls and several others climbed the stairs. Millie glanced at a cluster of passengers who held onto the wall and waited for an elevator.

  Millie scrunched her brows. No way would she take an elevator with the ship shifting to and fro. Not that she would take an elevator, anyway. They were Millie’s nemesis – at least one of them was.

  Sarah and Millie stopped climbing when they reached the lido deck. They made their way through the sliding glass doors that separated the hallway and the pool area.

  Water sloshed over the sides of the pool and spilled onto the teak boards. A net covered the pool. Millie grimaced. Was someone actually crazy enough to jump in the pool in this storm?

  Rain pelted the open area and coated the deck. Awesome…a poolside slip and slide. The girls shuffled along the edge, staying just under the covered section as they made their way over to the wall of windows.

  Even from the upper deck, Millie could see huge waves crash against the side of the ship. She lifted her gaze and focused on the horizon. The ship was to dock in Nassau, Bahamas today.

  Through the haze of the storm, she could barely make out land and the outline of the luxurious resort, Atlantis, off in the distance.

  One of the crew stood next to Sarah. She gave him a quick look. “We aren’t going to dock.” It wasn’t really a question but more of a statement.

  He shook his head. “No. It’s too dangerous. I heard that the captain is deciding whether to wait out the storm or turn around and try to sail out of it.”

  Millie nodded. That made sense. She wondered how long the storm was supposed to last.

  A towering wall of waves crashed against the windows. The ship groaned against Mother Nature’s onslaught.

  Millie grabbed the handrail in front of her to steady herself. She closed her eyes and willed the churning in her stomach to stop.

  Closing her eyes made it worse so she opened them back up.

  “Get ready for the barf bags.” Millie gingerly turned. It was Zack.

  She shot him a look. Barf bags? Millie had seen them before and had even asked Andy if they ever actually used them.

  Andy told her that they did and even assured her that one day she would experience the rough seas.

  “This is going to be a bad one,” Zack predicted.

  Sarah tightened her grip on the rail, her knuckles turned white. “Why do you say that?”

  He shrugged. “Because I just saw some of the crew making their way down the corridors of the passenger cabi
ns. They were shoving barf bags under each of the doors.”

  He turned to face Millie and she could see that even his face was quite pale. Zack was a seasoned cruiser and had probably experienced more than his share of stormy seas.

  “I’ve only seen them do that one other time and it was a whopper of a storm that we got caught in. It was the time we skirted a Category 2 hurricane on our way to Mexico.”

  “So what should we expect?” Millie was nervous. She herself felt ill and wondered how much help she would be to the passengers. On top of that, Millie had a weak stomach and the sight of someone losing his or her cookies made her queasy. Even when her kids were young, she had a hard time.

  “As far as your schedule today, you’ll have to check with Andy,” Zack replied. “He’s down in his office.”

  Millie glanced at her watch. She didn’t have to check in for another hour. Of course, the plan had been to meet Andy at the gangway to help passengers disembark in Nassau and answer any questions they may have.

  It didn’t look like that would happen. “Have you heard a weather report? Do we know how long this storm will last?”

  Zack turned to face the angry seas. “As of right now, we’re sitting right in the middle of it.”

  Millie wasn’t surprised. She felt as if she was in one of those water globes with a small boat inside of it. One someone was violently shaking.

  “I heard the captain is going to give it another hour to see if the storm starts to pass.”

  Sarah chimed in. “Does that mean we might dock in Nassau after all?”

  Zack shook his head. “I’d bet money that the answer is no. These seas will be rough for at least the rest of today, if not longer. There’s no way they can get the ship into port without chancing a run in with one of those long, cement pylons.”

  “So we’ll wait out the storm and then head to South Seas Cay?” South Seas Cay was Majestic Cruise Line’s private island. It was their next port stop, scheduled for the day after tomorrow.

  Zack shrugged. “I have no idea. There’s a chance the ship will head to Jamaica, then hit the private island on the way back if it’s too rough.”

  That made sense to Millie. If the waters near the small island were as rough as they were right now, there was no way the shuttle boats could pull up next to the ship and transport passengers to shore. She wished she knew which way the storm was heading!

  The girls started back to their cabin to get ready for work. Sarah, who worked in the dining room, clearing tables and helping with the buffet area, might have an easy day. If the passengers felt half as bad as Millie did, then they probably wouldn’t be hungry.

  Millie stepped between two bistro tables as she swaggered back and forth toward the sliding doors.

  The poolside bar was packed. Millie stared in disbelief when she saw how many passengers were sitting at the bar, cocktail in hand. She looked at her watch again. It was only 6:30 in the morning!

  Zack caught the look. “Believe it or not, a small drink can help with motion sickness, although after one, I’m not sure how much it helps.”

  Back inside, the trio headed down the steps. The ship continued to creak and groan at the onslaught of the massive storm. Millie said a quick prayer for their safety.

  Millie followed Sarah into the cabin. “You can get ready first,” she told her.

  Millie grabbed the remote from the desktop and turned the TV on. The captain was on the screen. Millie turned the volume up.

  “Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I am sorry to inform you that we have had to cancel our port stop in Nassau today. The ship has run into an unexpected storm and we cannot safely dock at this time.”

  He went on. “Due to the nature and length of the storm, I have decided to change course. Even now, the ship has turned and we are heading south towards South Seas Cay, our private island. Depending on weather improvement, we will either stop at the island tomorrow or continue on to Jamaica and stop at the private island on the way back.”

  Zack was good at calling it. Of course, he had a lot more experience at this than Millie did.

  Sarah emerged from the bathroom moments later. Her face was not quite as pale. “That mint really helped. Do you mind if I take a couple more with me?”

  “Of course not!” Millie reached into the dresser drawer and pulled the bag of mints. “Take as many as you want.”

  “Thanks, Millie.” Sarah dropped several mints in her pocket and eased onto the edge of the bed to slip into her shoes. “Good luck today.”

  “Same to you,” Millie told her. “Save some saltines for me.” She had heard that not only mints were good for settling the stomach but saltines helped, too.

  Inside the bathroom, Millie hurriedly showered. The movement of the ship and the small, enclosed shower caused the queasiness to return with a vengeance.

  She slipped into a clean uniform, opting to wear her sturdy black work shoes since they had more traction than her dressier work shoes.

  After a quick inspection in the mirror, Millie turned off the lights and headed out into the hall. It was time to start her day.

  Chapter 15

  Millie made her way down the center aisle of the darkened theater. She gripped the edge of the theater chairs to steady herself as she walked. The sound of tinkling glass echoed in the empty, cavernous theater.

  Millie lifted her eyes toward the ceiling. The mammoth crystal chandeliers swayed back and forth. Scenes from the movie Titanic ran through her head…would the ship capsize? What if it took on water and sank to the bottom of the ocean?

  Millie had complete faith in Captain Armati, but even he might not be able to pull them through this one!

  Millie stumbled to the stage and toward the bright light shining out from Andy’s office.

  Her heart plummeted when she caught a glimpse of her boss. He sat motionless, his face down, his head resting on his arms.

  “Are you alright?”

  “No,” Andy moaned. He slowly lifted his head.

  Millie glanced down at the large, rectangular trash bin sitting next to him. Several used barf bags filled the bin.

  “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I have never felt this sick before,” he whispered.

  Andy snatched an open bag from the table, spun around in his chair, lowered his head and filled the bag.

  Millie scrunched her nose and tried to focus her mind elsewhere.

  Andy turned back. “I need you to cover for me, Millie.”

  Millie’s eyes widened. Those were some big shoes to fill. Of course, Millie was Andy’s right-hand woman but she had never taken his place. Still, there was no way she could say “no.” Andy had done so much for her.

  “Of course. You go back to bed,” she told him. “I’ll handle everything.”

  Terrified, Millie plastered a smile on her face.

  Andy struggled to get out of his chair. He took a step forward and lost his footing as he stumbled forward, tripping over his own feet.

  Millie raced around the table. “Here, let me help you back to your cabin.” She lifted Andy’s arm and tucked her shoulder underneath. The two of them slowly made their way across the stage, down the stairs and out of the theater.

  It was a long, slow journey to Andy’s cabin. Millie took his key card and opened his cabin door. She helped him to his bed where he flopped down, flung his arm across his face and closed his eyes.

  Andy’s cabin was a bit larger and more luxurious than the rest of the crews’ rooms. It even included a mini fridge.

  Millie opened the refrigerator door. Her eyes scanned the interior as she searched the shelves.

  She grabbed one of the water bottles and unscrewed the cap. “Here, drink this before you sleep.” He needed to drink a lot of fluids or risk dehydration. The last thing she needed was for him to end up on a medevac and airlifted from the ship. Then she really would be up a creek without a paddle, floundering like a fish in a storm, literally!

  Andy shifted to a sitting position. H
e took the bottle of water from Millie’s hand. He gulped half the bottle, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and handed it to her. “Thanks!”

  He dropped his head on the bed and closed his eyes.

  Millie placed the bottle on the nightstand. Next, she set Andy’s radio on the other side of the water and then moved an empty trashcan close to the bed.

  Millie slipped out the door, turning the light off as she went out. “Please, God. Heal Andy from whatever is making him ill and if it’s the rough seas, please protect me from getting sick, too.”

  Millie quickened her pace and power-walked down the long I-95 corridor to the exit door. She headed straight to the theater and behind the stage.

  The back area bustled with activity. Millie marched into the room. She breathed a sigh of relief to see that most of the dancers were milling about. “I need your help!”

  All eyes turned to Millie. The room grew silent.

  “Andy is sick. I just left him in his cabin. He put me in charge of entertainment and I can’t do it all by myself,” she said.

  Alison, one of the dancers, stepped forward. “Of course, Millie. We’ll do whatever we can to help.”

  Tears of relief burned the back of Millie’s eyes.

  Zack was there. He stepped next to Alison. “I can’t believe Andy’s sick. He was fine earlier. I’ve never seen him become ill from the motion of the ship. The man has a stomach of steel.”

  He sure didn’t have a stomach of steel at the moment.

  “Maybe he ate something for breakfast that caused it,” Alison theorized.

  Millie didn’t have time to dwell on it now. She needed to rally the troops, form a plan, entertain the guests – what few of them that would be out and about.

  If there was any saving grace, it was the fact that many of the passengers would hang out in their cabin…not that Millie wanted anyone to be ill.

  “Let’s head to Andy’s office.” Millie waved her hand and the group followed single file.

  Millie sat in Andy’s chair and the rest took up the empty seats. She slipped on her reading glasses and pulled Andy’s notebook – his daily planner for ship activities – in front of her. She could see that Andy had started the revised schedule and made it as far as 11:00 a.m.